Magnetic Drinking Cup Stacking Toy

Abstract

A system with light-weight drinking cups that use small ball magnets embedded in the cup rim and in the bottom cup center. In a preferred embodiment, there can be four magnets at four locations around the rim and a magnet in the center of the bottom of the cup. This arrangement allows cups to be stacked easily even by very young children in a large variety of ways and configurations. The ball magnets align in an attraction mode. Hence, any two cups can be stuck together simply by bringing two of the magnets into proximity. The toy can yield large stacks with connections in many different configurations.

1 . A magnetic cup stacking toy comprising:
 a plurality of light weight cups, each cup having a rim and cup bottom;   wherein, each cup has four ball magnets situated equidistantly around the rim, and each cup has a single ball magnet situated on the cup bottom center;   wherein said cups can be stacked with other like cups to form a plurality of stacking configurations by bringing one or more of the ball magnets from a first cup into proximity of at least one ball magnet of the another cup, and likewise adding more cups to the stack wherein at least one of the stacking configurations is such that two adjacent cups are perpendicular to one-another.   
     
     
         2 . The magnetic cup stacking toy of  claim 1  wherein the cups are molded plastic with embedded ball magnets. 
     
     
         3 . The magnetic cup stacking toy of  claim 1  wherein the cups are light-weight, transparent plastic water cups. 
     
     
         4 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A magnetic cup stacking toy comprising a plurality of identical cup members each have a rim and a cup body, the rim of each cup member having four embedded permanent magnetic balls located equidistantly around the rim; the cup body having a solid bottom with a single ball magnet center embedded in the cup body, wherein, the cups may be stacked in a plurality of configurations by bringing a ball magnet of one cup in proximity to a ball magnet of a different cup, and wherein at least one of the plurality of configurations is one with two cups perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         14 . The magnetic cup stacking toy of  claim 13  wherein the cup members are molded plastic. 
     
     
         15 . The magnetic cup stacking toy of  claim 14  wherein the molded plastic is rigid. 
     
     
         16 . The magnetic cup stacking toy of  claim 13  further comprising an inner cup part and an outer cup part, the inner cup part being attached to the outer cup part after the ball magnets are placed on the rim. 
     
     
         17 . The magnetic cup stacking toy of  claim 16  wherein the inner cup part is riveted to the outer cup part.